Dress suspending and carrying device



May 26, 1931. A. w. WINSHIP DRESS SUSPENDING AND CARRYING DEVICE Filed April 29, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet l l INVENTOR ML 13 may May 26, 1931. A. w. WINSHIP 1,807,267

DRESS SUSPENDING AND CARRYING DEVIC E Filed April 29. 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 awuznto'a att ney; 5

May 26, 1931. A. w. WlNSHlP DRESS SUSPENDING AND CARRYING DEVICE 3 SheetsSheet Filed April 29. 1929 maze] ATTORNEYS Patented May 26, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ALBERT W. WII\TSHIP, OF UTICA, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO IBEBG-WINSHIP, INC., OF UTICA, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK DRESS SUSPEN IDING AND CARRYING DEVICE Application filed April 29,

This invention relates to dress-suspending and carrying devices.

The purpose of my present invention is to provide a dress-suspending and carrying device whereby one or more dresses may be hung by their shoulders upon the shoulder supporting bars intermediate the top and bottom rods of the device and then the device folded transversely carrying the garment or garments thereon into a folded position lengthwise of the garment with the deviceadapted to then have the garment folded successively about the opposite top and bottom rods of the device whereby dresses may be placed or carried in a very small space with the dresses kept free from wrinkles or creases.

The dress-suspending and carrying device of this invention when in extended position is similar in general construction to the dresssuspending and carrying device shown in my co-pending application for United States patent thereon filed March 14, 1928 as Serial No. 261,621 and the particular purpose of this present invention is to provide a frame of the character described but which may be folded or doubled up and still have the clothes folded thereabout in a satisfactory manner and thus allow the said frame to be placed in handcarrying cases of much smaller size than could be done where the frame could not be folded as is the case with the rigid or unfoldable frame illustrated in my said co-pending ap lication.

urther purposes'of this invention are to rovide a construction of the type indicated liaving details of construction and co-operation of its parts of such character that the said frame may be held securely as long as desired in extended position for placing the dresses thereon preliminary to folding or for leaving the dresses hanging thereon as an ordinary clothes hanger to be used outside of a carrying case and yet to have said frame providedwith means whereby it may be readily folded and then operate as a frame over which the clothes may be folded without interference by the means used to lock the frame in extended position or to support the same outside of a suitcase further to have a frame of the character described provided with 1829. Serial No. 359,009.

means especially adapted to allow the frame to be removably or detachably suspended in the cover of a hand-carrying case without interfering with the dress being folded upon said frame. 1 i

Further purposes and advantages of the invention will appear'from the specification and claims herein. 1

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the dress-suspending and carrying device or frame in extended position.

Fig. 2 is a front view of said frame showing a dress hung upon the shoulder-supporting bars thereof.

Fig. 3 is a view of the parts shown in Fig. 2 after the frame has been folded transversely of-itself carrying the dress into a fold longitudinally of the dress.

Fig. 4 is'a similar view of said frame and dress after the frame has been turned forwardly to make the first fold of the dress upon the frame. I

Fig. 5 is a View of said parts after the frame has been again turned to make the second fold of the-dress.

Fig. 6 is a view of the said parts after the frame has been again turned to make the third fold of the dress, and Fig. 7 is-a similar view after the fourth fold has been made.

Fig. 8 is an isometric projection of the said foldedframe with a dress completely folded thereon and placed in the cover of the hand-carrying case of small size suitable for such a folding frame. t

Fig. 9 is a similar isometric'projection of said case and with thefolded frame therein, but without a dress upon the frame.

Referring to the drawings in a more particulardescription, it will be seen that the dress-suspending and carrying device consists of a frame generally designated by the numeral 10. This frame comprises two spaced rods 11 and 12 which are substantially straight and parallel, that is the top edge 11 of the top rod 11 and the bottom edge 12 of the bottom rod 12 are straight and parallel. These rods 11 and 12 are connected by a cen* tral stem 13 from which project the opposite parts of a plurality of shoulder-supporting bars 14. It will be understood that the rods 11 and 12, the shoulder-supporting bars 14 and the stem 13 of the frame are all substantially in the same plane, relatively thin and may be conveniently formed integral from suitable multiple. ply wood or other light, thin material of sufficient strength. The frame as awholeis composed of two separate but similar halves with the division made vertically of the frame, that is midway the width of the stem 13, and that the two halves of the frame are hinged together along said central line of the stem. Conveniently this hinge 15 will be formed of one or more layers of vertically extending strips of fabric secured to the opposite faces of the halves of the frame whereby the frame may be folded transversely of itself as plainly indicated in the drawings. It will be understood that my folding frame is not limited to a cloth hinge between its halves, but that a cloth or fabric hingeis preferred on account of its lightness and the convenience with which it may be attached and the fact that it makes 7 no projecting part to interfere with the folding of the dress upon the frame either at the first fold longitudinally of the; dress or at subsequent folds of the dress about the frame.

It will be understood that the shouldersupporting bars 14 are arranged in opposite pairs with each pair spaced from each other and with said bars spaced from the top and also the bottom rods 11 and 12 respectively. The shoulder-supporting bars 14 are open ended so that over each pair may be placed the shoulder portions of a dress, coat or similar article of ladies apparel. As will appear particularly from Fig. 2 the shoulder portions of a dress will be placed over an oppositely extending pair of shoulder-supporting bars 14 but with the body of the dress below said shoulder portions disposed to the rearof the central stem 13 and bottom rod 12'of the frame. In Fig. 2the dress is shown supported by the lower pair of bars 14 but it will be obvious that another dress can be similarly and separately suspended upon the upper pair of bars. It will also be obvious that if desired the frame may be provided with more than thetwo sets of shoulder-supporting bars 14. V

This dress-suspending and carrying frame is especially adapted to be suspended within a very small hand-carrying case by folding the frame 10 transversely of itself to the position shown in Fig. 9 and then to have the frame suspended preferably within the cover of the hand-carrying case as plainly indicated in said Fig. 9. In, Fig. 8, however, is shown said frame as it will appear in the cover of'said case with the dress or dresses folded upon said folded frame as will be more particularly described hereafter. Upon the opposite ends of the portion of the upper rod 11 forming part of the left hand half of the frame as shown in Fig. 1 there are provided cars 16' extending lengthwise of said rod 11 and beyond the general rectangular shape of said half of the frame. Preferably there will also be provided adjacent the ends of this half of the upper rod 11 upstanding clothes stops or guides 17 to aid in keeping the dresses slightly back from the ends of said rod 11 when the dress is folded over said rod.

A convenientform of providing said cars 16 and stops 17 is to form the same as integral projections upon a metal plate 18 overlapping the ends of this half of the upper rod 11 and fastened thereto by rivets 19.

The projecting ears 16 upon the ends of the left hand half of the frame as seen in Fig. 1 provide the means upon the folded and loaded frame to suspend in desired position the said folded frame and its load of dresses with in the raised cover of the relatively small hand-carrying case 21. Upon the side flanges 22 of the cover 20 are provided spring brackets 23 having their bottom ends secured to said flanges as by rivets 2 1 with the upper ends of said brackets normally positioned slightly away from said flange but adapted to be sprung towards said flange temporarily enough to placethe ears 16 of the frame in the apertures 25 near theupper end of the brackets.

In order to allow of conveniently hanging one or more dresses upon the frame preliminary to folding the frame and said dresses and particularly in order to allow the extended frame to be used in'its extended position as an ordinary clothes hanger outside of the carrying case, means are provided near the top central portion of the frame to suspend the frame from any clothes rod or other sup.- port.' This suspending means consists of an open hook 26 having the end of its shank portion 27 pivoted to the right hand half of the frame 10 as the parts are seen in Fig. 1, that is upon the part of said frame where the upper rod 11 joins its portion of the central stem 13 and close to the hinge .15. By. having the'said hook pivotallymounted upon the frame the hook proper may be swung down to overlap the said half of the frame as shown in Fig. 3 so as not to interfere with the fold ing of the dress over the upper edge 11 of the rod 11 or past the hinged edges of the two halves of the frame. y

Preferably also there will'be combined with the shank 27 of the hook 26 the means for locking the two halves of the frame in extended position. This means consistsof providing a flat finger 28 upon the shank 27 of the hook preferably in line withthe pivot 29 holding the hook to the frame and preferably with the finger 28 substantially at right angles to the length of the hook 26 and projecting to the left from said hook as shown in Fig. 1. This projecting fingerwhen the parts of the frame areextended overlaps the metal plate 18 and the ear 16 on the right hand end of the left hand half of the frame. I

Since the right hand ear 16 projects some distance over the upper corner of the right hand half of the frame and is closely engaged to the rear thereof by said finger 28, it will be seen that the two halves of the frame are locked in extended position with sufficient rigidity to allow the frame to be handled and have dresses placed thereon or removed therefrom.

The operation of folding the frame with a dress thereon and of then folding the frame with a dress thereon and then folding the dress about the folded frame is as follows: Assuming that the frame is lock-ed in extended position as shown in Fig. 1 and with a dress thereon as shown in Fig. 2, the hook 26 will be swung down to clear the finger 28 from ear l6 and plate 18 until thefinger 28 points in the opposite direction and the hook also entirely overlaps the frame which position of the parts is clearly shown in Fig. 3. It will be seen that with the hook in this position neither the hook itself nor the finger 28 projects past the upper edge 11 of the top rod 11 nor past the hingededge of the half of the frame. With the parts in the relative position shown in Fig.2, that is with the dress arranged to the rear of the frames lower rod 12 and to the rear of the stem 13 the frame will be folded to bring the front of the two halves of the frame together and with the body of the dress folded centrally and longitudinally of the dress as appears in Fig. 3. It will be noted that in folding the frame and therewith the dress in this manner the dress will be outside of the folded stem and outside the rod 12 and the part of the dress formerly to the rear of the hinge 15 will be folded closely about the said hinged edges of the stem 15 of the frame and will closely follow said hinged edge of the folded frame from the top of the neck of the dress to the bottom of the folded frame. The first fold transversely of the dress will then be effected by tipping the top of the frame forwardly and down from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 1 during the first part of which operation the hand will be placed against the forward side of the dress close to the lower rod 12 to keep the forward part of the dress back against the bottom of the frame. The next folding operation will be made by again swinging the top of the frame forwardly and down from the position shown in Fig. t to the position shown in Fig. 5. During this operation the dress opposite the rod 11 which is temporarily at the bottom of the frame will naturally fold over said rod 11 without assistance from the operator because all of the thicknesses of the dress are to the rear of that part of the frame. Again the top of the frame will be brought forwardly and another fold of the clothes made bringing the position of the parts to the form shown inFig. 6. And ordinarily still another successive fold will be made which will complete the-reeling up of the dress upon the folded frame so that the dress frame will appear as in Fig. 7. It will be noted that during these folding operations the dress near the ends of the upper rod 11 has been kept just back from the ends of said rod by the upstanding stops or guides 17 so that no portion of the dresshas been allowed to come beyond or out even with the supporting ears 16. The folded frame with the dresses so reeled up thereon is then placed and secured in the recessed .cover by inserting one ear 16 in its bracket and then temporarily pressingboth brackets back until the other ear can be placed in the aperture of the second bracket 23.

It will now be seen that by this invention Ihave provided a dress-suspendingand carrying device that can be itself folded so as to go into a compartment such as the case when the cover of a hand-carrying case which is about half as long as would be required were thedress-carrying frame not foldable; and that I have provided a frame of such character and combination and operation of its parts that the dress may be initially suspended upon the extended frame as readily as though the frame were a rigid frame and yet allow the frame to be folded without squeezing or pressing in part of the dress between the stem and upper or lowerrods of the frame. In this way I avoid creasing or wrinkling of the dress notwithstanding the folding of the frame upon itself. It will be noticed that while one layer of the neck portion of a dress is to the front of the bars 14 and so will be between the frame when the frame is folded, these portions will not be pressed hard enough between the frame to form creases. This absence of pressure is due partly to the fact that the shoulder portions of the dresses so confined between any pair of bars 14 are located more or less out upon said bars and that the bars have sufiicient resiliency to spring apart slightly whenthe frame is folded if thevshoulder portions of the dress should be rather thick. 1

As a suggestion of the small size of a handcarrying case that may be conveniently used with my invention to carry two dresses it may be said that a hand case 141- inches long 11 inches high and 1 inches deep may be satisfactorily used. 7

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: r

1. A dress suspending and carrying device consisting of a frame having two straight parallel spaced rods and therebetween a pair of oppositely extending shoulder-supporting bars. said frame being foldable transversely of said spaced rods whereby a dress may be hung by its shoulders upon said extended shoulder bars, the frame and dress thereon then folded and then the projecting portion of said dress wrapped bodily successively about both said rods; V

2. A dress suspending and carrying device for use in a hand carrying case and consisting of a frame having two straight parallel spaced rods and therebetween a pair of oppositely extending shoulder-supporting bars, said frame being foldable transversely of said spaced rods whereby a dress may be hung by its shoulders upon said extended shoulder bars, the frame and dress thereon then folded and then the projecting portion of said dress wrapped bodily successively about both said rods and means on the opposite ends of one of the halves of said rods for detachably holding said folded frame in said carrying case.

3. A dress suspending and carrying device consisting of a frame having twostraight parallel spaced rods and therebetween a pair of oppositely extending shoulder-supporting bars, said frame being foldable transversely of said spaced rods whereby a dress may be hung by its shoulders upon said extended shoulder bars, the frame and dress thereon then folded and then the projecting portion of said dress wrapped bodily successively about both said rods, and releasable means 011 said frame for holding its two halves extended in line with each other, said means being movable to a position away from the carrying rod edges when the frame is folded.

4. A dress suspending and carrying device for use ina hand-carrying case and consisting of a frame having two straight parallel spaced rods and therebetween a pair of oppositely extending shoulder-supporting bars, said frame being foldable transversely of said spaced rods whereby a dress may be hung by its shoulders upon said extended shoulder bars, the frame and dress thereon then folded and then the projecting portion of said dress wrapped bodily successively about both said rods, means for detachably holding said folded frame in said case, and means on said frame for suspending said frame and its shoulder bars in extended position whereby said frame may serve as a suspended clothes hanger, said suspending means being foldable to the frame whereby it will not prevent the wrapping of the clothes about the folded fran'ie.

5. A dress suspending and carrying device consisting of a frame having two straight parallel spaced rods and therebetween a pair of oppositely extending shoulder-supporting bars, said frame being foldable transversely of said spaced rods wherebya dress may be hung by its shoulders upon said extended shoulder bars, the frame and dress thereon then folded and then the projecting portion of said dress wrapped bodily successively about both said rods, and a swinging hook nearthe central upper part of said frame for suspending said frame and its shoulder bars in extended position whereby said frame may serve as a suspended clothes hanger, said suspending means being foldable to the frame whereby it will'not prevent the wrapping of the clothes about the folded frame.

, 6. e A dress suspending and carrying device consisting of a frame having two straight parallel spaced rods and therebetween a pair of oppositely extending shoulder-supporting bars, said frame being foldable transversely of said spaced rods whereby a dress may be hung by its shoulders upon said extended shoulder bars, the frame and dress thereon then folded and then the projecting portion of said dress wrapped bodily successively about both said rods, releasable means on said frame for holding its two halves extended in line with each other, said means being movable to a position away from the carrying rod edges when the frame is folded and means on said frame for suspending said frame and its shoulder bars in extended position whereby said frame may serve as a suspended clothes hanger, said suspending means being foldable to the frame whereby it will not prevent the wrapping 'of the clothes about the folded frame.

In witness whereof I have aflixed my signature, this l6th day of April, 1929.

' ALBERT V. VINSHIP. 

